The Airports with the Scariest Landings in the World

Nervous fliers might want to avoid these airports!

Reagan International Airport

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While flying is an extremely safe mode of travel, that doesn’t mean that you won’t experience a hair-raising plane ride every now and again. In fact, at these 12 airports, nerve-racking rides are the norm. Some are in incredibly remote locations, while others are close to cities—maybe a little too close for comfort. First up: Reagan International Airport.

Flying into, or out of, our nation’s capital can cause some jarring rides. This Washington, DC airport borders two no-fly zones, and pilots often have to swerve to avoid flying over the Pentagon and the White House. In 2008, a flight accidentally swooped into one of the no-fly zones, and all of Congress had to be evacuated. Another flight into Reagan, this one in 2015, had a scary encounter with a flock of birds.

Paro Airport, Bhutan

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This airport, situated in the Himalayas, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous. The number of pilots qualified to fly into Paro Airport is in the single digits. Those pilots have to swoop around small hills to get to this landing strip tucked between 16,000-foot mountains.